Don’t worry, it’s Desmond Meyer
After a devastating few years, filled with many personal losses (due to covid and otherwise), South African born, Switzerland-based guitar virtuoso and composer Desmond Meyer turns everything around to bring us a glorious message of rebound and hope with his new album Don’t Worry.
Collaborating with 13 musicians from all over the globe, including keyboard and hitmaker Greg Manning, the ultra-groovin’ Meyer creates a vibrant cornucopia of funky and exotic styles ranging from tight, bright sax and guitar driven Smooth Jazz to free-flowing, percussive African jams paying homage to his ancestors as well as lost friends and family.
Desmond left South Africa in 1993 to escape the institutionalized injustices of Apartheid and joined Eugene Wareley in Switzerland.
Following a tour in Northern Italy with Jamaican reggae great Winchester, Desmond also joined the African formation Shake the Tree, which included two performances at the world-famous Montreux Jazz Festival.
During the late nineties, he performed in various music projects, including performances with South African veteran Tefo Hlaele as a support band for Yusso Ndour in the Kongresshaus Zurich.
His debut CD was recorded in the latter part of 1999 and following his involvement in several projects with Jamaican bassist Leon Ducan, Desmond joined the band, Vital Roots. It is during this time that he was nicknamed “Dazzy Roots”, a name that remains to this day. Vital Roots also conducted multiple Swiss tours which included a memorable performance at the renowned Montreux Jazz festival.
Desmond has worked as a Swiss banker for 11years while continuing to pursue his musical career. His hard work enabled him to finance the second CD, “Now That We’re Free”, which was created under his own Khoibeat-Productions label. The CD is currently being distributed online through CDbaby.com.
In April of 2008, one of Desmond’s biggest dreams came true when he met his long time mentor and hero, Jonathan Butler in L.A. In 2009 he enrolled for an audio engineering diploma at SAE in Zurich followed by completing a BA(Hons) in cooperation with Middlesex University in the UK.
Desmond’s story is one of someone who never gives up. He currently runs his Khoibeat-Productions studio from his house in Koblenz Switzerland where he is involved in different musical projects. And the latest one is his new album Don’t Worry.
…host of the Just Jazz radio show, writer, and occasional voice over artist.
